


Shared Experience

by Starofwinter



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Beginnings, Confessions, Developing Friendships, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-04
Updated: 2018-05-04
Packaged: 2019-05-02 00:57:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14533218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starofwinter/pseuds/Starofwinter
Summary: They're both inexperienced, thrust into roles they were never really trained for, but they might just make this work.





	Shared Experience

Rex finds his new general sitting in the command center, maps and charts spread out in front of him.  He looks exhausted, despite the mostly-empty cup of cold caff at his elbow. “General Skywalker,” he says, a little hesitant despite himself.  He’s still getting used to being around the Jedi - to him, they still seem like the mystical, powerful beings he and his brothers have been taught about.  Sure, they’re regular living, breathing beings too, but they’re still  _ strange _ .

“I don’t know what I’m doing,” Skywalker confesses, looking up at Rex with wide, haunted eyes, “I was a Padawan three weeks ago.  I’ve never been a leader before, or learned much about being in a war. What would you do, Captain?”

The confession catches Rex off-guard.  “What do you mean, sir?” he finally asks, trying to make sense of things.  Rex isn’t sure how much he’ll be able to help; he’s only earned the rank he has by studying over Cody’s shoulder and sneaking around the blocks on the data terminals.   

Skywalker shakes his head.  “I’ve been looking at these charts and maps for hours, and I can’t find any way that we won’t lose men-”

That hits Rex hard.  They’d all been trained on Kamino that their lives only mattered as a way to stop the Separatists.  They could die by the thousands and it would only mean something if they completed the mission. And here was Skywalker, exhausting himself with trying to find a way to keep them all alive?  Kriff. “I don’t think there’s a way to do that. We’re going to lose some no matter what we do,” he says, trying to at least soften the blow, “It’s our duty.”

“It’s  _ not right _ ,” Skywalker says fiercely.

“That’s just war.”  Rex looks over the charts, paying no more mind to the outburst, mostly because he doesn’t know how to respond.  “The best way I can see is using low-flying aerial craft, they can come in from over here,” he says finally, “Over these mountains.  If we do that, we can force them through  _ this _ pass, and have our ground forces waiting.  They’ll be bottlenecked, and we can pick them off.  It’s not a clean fight, but it’s one that might get us the fewest casualties.”

Skywalker nods.  “Alright. I trust you, Rex.”  He smiles, tired and still with the boundless energy he seems to have.  “Thank you.”

“Anytime, sir.”  Rex finds himself smiling back at him as Skywalker claps a hand on his shoulder before he walks out, still studying the copy of the charts on his datapad.  

Maybe neither of them  _ really _ knows what they’re doing here, but it feels like, between the two of them, they can make this work.


End file.
